Electrically-operated railway-gate.



No. 656,09l. Patented Aug. I4, |900. G. D. BunToN & G. w. STEINER.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RAILWAY GATE.

(Application filed Apr. 22, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheeis-Shee I.`

INVENTDRE'. l W

No. 656,091. Patented Aug. I4, |900. G. D. BURTON & G. W. STEINER. ELECTRICALLY OPERATED RAILWAY GATE.

(Application ld Apr. 22, 1899.) (No Modal.) 2 S eeis-Sheet 2,

I VIVEN-r :x5:

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

GEORGE D. BURTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND GEORGE NV. f STEINER, OE NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRlCALLY-OPRATED RAlLWAY-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,091, dated August 14., 1900.

Application tiled April 22, 1899. Serial No. 714,151. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it 71mg/ concern.' l

Beit known that we, GEORGE D. BURTON, of Boston, in the county of'Suttolkand State of Massachusetts, and GEORGE W. STEINER, of the city of New York,(Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Im'proveinventin Electrically-Operated Railway-Gates, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Our invention relatesl to an 'electrical apparatus and operating niechanismadapted to open and close railway-gates 5' and it consistsin the construction and arrangement of the several parts whereby the person in charge can readily control several gates by the manipu-A lation of a single le-ver or switch.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in' Which- Figure lis a View in elevation, showing two gates as applied vto an ordinary grade-crossing. TWO sidewalk-gates are also shown in connection with the streetgates. Fig. 2

shows in elevation and section the electrical and mechanical apparatus used for raising and lowering the gates. Fig. 3 is a plan showing the same parts that are shown in Eig. 2. Fig. 4 shows, partly in plan and partly diagrammaticallyhe switch'andwire system used.

In the drawings the street-gates are indicated by A A, and the sidewalk-gates by B B. The street-gates are hung on shafts A, and the sideWalk-gateson shafts B'.l The shafts A' and B are rigidly connected Vto their re-` spective gates and are providedwith segment-gears A2 B2, which Vmesh'into each other in such a manner as to cause both the streetgate and thesidewalk-gate to move together that is, both go up or both come down at the same time. To the shaft Al a rocking lever C D is attached. To one end O of this rocking lever a solenoid-core CLnl is connected by a link O2 and pivots O C3. To the other end D of the rocking lever a solenoid-piston D4 is connected by a link D2 and pivots VD' D3. (See Fig. 2.) M and M represent the solenoids. OounterweightsW V'are attached to the street-gates AA. i

The shafts A' and'B are supported by the frame E, and the operating mechanism is protected by a casing E. The switch device and system of wiring are shown in Fig. 4, which will now be explained. The switch-box S is provided with resistance-coils ot' any suitable kind, the contact-buttons of Which are designated by R. A lever L is pivoted at L5 and has upon it a contact-spring P4,connected to the generator G by conductors P3 P2 P' P and the positive brush, When the lever L is moved to the right, the contact-spring P4 connects with the resistanoecoils through the buttons R and thence to the solenoids M M M2 M3, as will be explained. Instead ot' a dynamo G a storage battery may be used, if desired. A switch-blade N6 is pivoted to the lever L atL4. This switch-blade N6 is held in the position indicated in the drawings by a spring S. Upon the lever L are two contact-clamps N5 and a5, insulated from each other and from the lever L, but electrically connected by means of N6 N7 Ns N9 N10 and brush to the generator G. N4 and n4 are segment-arcs insulated but iu contact with the contact-clamps N5 and n, respectively.

When the switchlblade N is in the position shown in Fig. 4,'it is in electric connection with the contact-clamps N5; but when it is swung over, as indicated by dotted lines, then it is out of contact with the contactclamp Nand `in contact with the contactclamp ns.

The electrical circuits are as follows: To raise the gates, the attendant takes hold of that part of the handle designated by L. Also grasping the handle Lsot the switch-blade N 6 he throws the switch-blade into its dotted positionthat is, so that it is in electrical con tact with the contact-clamp p5. Now by moving the lower lever lto the right he makes contact with the buttons R, thus lclosing the circuit which energizes the solenoids M M3, thus causing their pistons to be drawn in, (see Fig. 2,) which action is transmitted through the rocking levers `D C raising the gates. The circuit in this case is from the (-1-) brush of the generator through the Wires P P P2 P3, contact-springPresistance R, Wires P5 P6 P7 to solenoids M' M3, thence from said solenoids through Wiresv n n n2 n3, ycontact-aro n4, clamp W5, switch'blade N, (in its dotted position,) wires N7 N8 N9 N10 to brush of the generator. Tolower the gates, the attendant grasps thehandle at L, leaving the switch-blade in contact with the clamp N5. Now by turning the lever to the right he closes the circuit through the resistance R and energizes the solenoids M M2, thus drawing the piston C4 down and closing the gates. The circuit in this case is as follows: Starting from the (-H brush, thence through the wires Io "P P P2 P3, contact-spring P4, resistance R,

A adapted for a bell-circuit.

wire P5 P6 P7 to solenoids M M2, and back through wires N, N', N2, and N3 to contact-arc N4, spring N5, switch-blade N6, and wires N7 N8 N9 N10 to brush and generator. The bell-circuit is independent of the main resistance R, which is varying, and therefore not The bell electric line starts from the part T of the spring-contact piece P4, passes through the conductor-arc T, wire T2, resistance R2, bell T4, wire T5 N9 N10 1o generator. l As arranged the bell will begin to ring as soon as the lever L is started from either position and will continue to ring as long as the gates are moving either in going up or in coming down.

The solenoids may be wound in any of the approved methods. The following has proved very effective: Use No., 2O doubly-insulated magnet-wire, wind twenty-three layers, each layer having two hundred and ninety-three turns, making six thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine total number of turns. In this case the weight of wire used is nineteen pounds seven ounces admitting a sufficient current to sustain two hundred pounds.

We claiinl. In an electrically-controlled railway device, the combination of a swinging gate, solenoids having cores connected to said gate, and a circuit switch-lever having a movable switch-blade adapted to direct the electric current from one solenoid to the other.

2. In an electrically-controlled railway device, the combination of a swinging gate, a squrce of electricity7 an electrical device for operating said gate, and a current-controlling switch-lever having a contact adapted to close the circuit through the resistance and said electrical device, a movable switch-blade disposed on said lever, contacts adapted to connect said blade with contact-segments, and conductors connecting said contact-segments with the device for operating the gate.

3. In an electrically-controlled railway device, the combination of an electrical circuit having a resistance disposed therein, solenoids disposed in said circuit, a pivoted lever having a contact for closing the circuit through said resistance, a movable switchblade disposed onv said lever and adapted to direct the current from one solenoid to the other, contacts disposed on said lever and insulated therefrom, and conductors connecting said contacts with the solenoids.

4. In an electrically-controlled railway device, the combination of an electrical circuit having a resistance disposed therein, solenoids disposed in said circuit, a pivoted lever having a contact-spring for closing the circuit through the resistance, a rn ovable-switch-Y blade pivoted to said'lever and adapted to direct the current from one solenoid to the other, conta-ctsdisposed on said lever and insulated therefrom, contact-segments connected with said contacts, and conductors connecting said segments with the solenoids. In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 141th day of April, A. D. 1899.

GEO. D. BURTON.

GEO. W. STEINER.

Vitnesses:

E. F. PHILIPsoN, R. PUFFER. 

